Palm trees, hard bodies, sun 'n' surf, movie stars, earthquakes....Los Angeles is arguably the world's most diverse, fascinating, colorful, and evolving city-and one difficult to capture in a book, but Stanic has miraculously succeeded. With a combination of no-nonsense writing (e.g., By the 1970's famed Hollywood Boulevard had become a seedy mix of shabby T-shirt and souvenir shops) and superb photographs of as high a quality as those that Dorling Kindersley publishes, the book takes readers on a realistic tour of Los Angeles, both laudatory and critical. A thorough introduction to the city's history sets the stage for a look at Lifestyles, Culture, and Exploring Los Angeles. Along the way, readers learn who the most prolific graffiti tagger is, where celebrities repose in famously over-the-top cemeteries, which buildings were used in the making of movies and TV shows, and much, much more. Southern California librarians will definitely want this book to show their readers just how little they really know about this unique city, while other libraries should stock their shelves with it for the many people planning to visit El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula.
Highly recommended! -- Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA. Copyright Reed Business Information.
--Library Journal (starred review) Travel Bookshelf:
Nobody asked me, but I have a gift recommendation for everybody who thinks they know Los Angeles well.
It's a new guidebook: Los Angeles Attractions, by Borislav Stanic (Museon Publishing, $24.95). Don't let the drab title deceive you. Since it landed on my desk some weeks ago, I've been dipping into this 512-page first edition, looking for flaws. But the time has come to acknowledge that this book, published this year, is a gem, jam-packed with photos (1,770 of them) and maps (40) and details that reach beyond the usual guidebook fare... After seeing so many versions of the Los Angeles 101 course from all the usual guidebook series suspects, it's nice to see an upper-division approach to the city from an independent. --Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times.
BUZZ At Your Service: The Best of L.A.
Though an all-inclusive guidebook for L.A. would be virtually impossible to produce, Borislav Stanic's LOS ANGELES ATTRACTIONS (Museon, 512 pages, $24.95) comes close. It has an artistry that Fodor s and TimeOut lack. Its glossy pages are jam-packed not only with maps, photos, and concise descriptions of landmarks but also with contextual historical information. Surprising spot: Who knew that Blue Jay Way in the Hollywood Hills inspired the Beatles song of the same name? Navigation tools: Vintage photos and succinct overviews explain how the region became a center for agriculture, architecture, transportation, fashion, and beach culture. Star smarts: Maps to celebrity gravestones and a nod to the Hugh Grant Arrest Site, where the actor was picked up for solic --Chicago Tribune
Consisting of more than 1,000 entries and nearly 1,800 photographs, this endlessly fascinating guide is a visually stunning portrait of the history, lifestyles and culture of the Los Angeles area from Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley to the beach cities and the Westside... Stanic discusses not only the ubiquitous movie star homes and motion-picture studios, but also museums, historic movie theaters, historic landmarks, churches, cemeteries, beaches, famous restaurants and famous private residences. The photographs and vintage postcards are striking, and the concise descriptions capture the nation's second-largest city in all its wonderful, goofy glory. -- June Sawyers, Chicago Tribune -- --Chicago Tribune
BUZZ At Your Service: The Best of L.A.
Though an all-inclusive guidebook for L.A. would be virtually impossible to produce, Borislav Stanic's LOS ANGELES ATTRACTIONS (Museon, 512 pages, $24.95) comes close. It has an artistry that Fodor s and TimeOut lack. Its glossy pages are jam-packed not only with maps, photos, and concise descriptions of landmarks but also with contextual historical information. Surprising spot: Who knew that Blue Jay Way in the Hollywood Hills inspired the Beatles song of the same name? Navigation tools: Vintage photos and succinct overviews explain how the region became a center for agriculture, architecture, transportation, fashion, and beach culture. Star smarts: Maps to celebrity gravestones and a nod to the Hugh Grant Arrest Site, where the actor was picked up for soliciting a prostitute. --Los Angeles Magazine
Borislav Stanic, the author of
Los Angeles Attractions, has won top awards in four national book awards competitions:
WINNER 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award in the Travel category
WINNER 2008 Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Award-Silver in the Travel Guide category
WINNER 2009 National Indie Excellence Award in the Travel Guide category
WINNER 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Award in the Travel/Travel Guide category
Stanic's work (including the critically acclaimed book
Museum Companion to Los Angeles) has been praised by USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Arizona Republic, Los Angeles Magazine, Booklist, Choice and Library Journal.
